Tag Archives: legs

So, to be truthfully honest, I have gotten off track of the LiveFit Trainer. I have still been working out, and my eating has never been more clean, but I am not really following the program anymore. I believe the program has a lot of really good ideas and is great for all levels of fitness. I just lost track of where I was and often times would have to break up my workouts differently than the trainer had suggested.

I’m still finding it difficult to get a quality workout in at home with baby, but we are making due. Yesterday was a KILLER leg day. I am working my way back up to the squatting weight I was doing pre-pregnancy. And after a realy great at home leg workout, We (baby, dog and I) went on a 3.2km walk in the coulees, including htese stairs, twice!

Needless to say, I was tired after that – especially after packing around a 11 lb baby all that way too. The pup was huffing and puffing when we were done too!

Yesterday, I also did some food prep. I had done quite a bit on Sunday (chicken – 2 kinds, rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes – which I steam to keep the flavour and nutritional value, and chopping veggies into easy to use sizes). Yesterday I did my broccoli and ground turkey. I steamed my broccoli and seasoned my turkey with black pepper, garlic, and italian seasoning.

So, I guess, part of the point of my post today is to stick with it. Adjust your routine and schedule to fit your lifestyle. You need to make time for hte gym – even if you have to break it up into different body parts throughout the day, or cardio am and weights pm, etc. As long as you are doing something, you are helping to change. Change won’t happen over night, however, I have truthfully noticed how much clean eating has helped my body both in appearance and how I feel. Stick with it! Send me an email or post a comment anytime and I will be sure to get back to you!!!!!

It is known that high reps with lower weight is best suited for muscle endurance while low reps and heavy weight is the best choice for building strength. What about fat loss?

There is plenty of research out there indicating heavy weights and lower reps (which engages Type 2 muscle fibres – fast twitch) is optimal for muscle building and strength. This doesnt mean you can’t build muscle with more reps, however, to build up strength and muscle quicker and more efficiently, low and heavy is by far the way to go. An important idea to remember is that correct form and technique will help too! By ensuring the exercise is being done correctly, you are activating the muscle effectively and in turn, causing more tears in muscle fibre and bigger muscles.

One key piece to note for fat loss is the intensity of your workout. It doesn’t necessarily matter how heavy you are lifting or how many reps you are doing. Instead, having a higher intensity, with less rest between reps (essentially, sweating your butt off) is most effective for fat loss. Lifting weights can also help to increase fat loss. Cardio alone will help one to lose fat, however some muscle is being lost too if you choose strictly cardio. Lifting weights will help in losing fat and building muscle at the same time. Both are almost equally effective at fat loss, if that is your only goal.

Key to both strength and fat loss is your diet! Eating right is the first step to getting your new body! You need to fuel your muscles for them to grow and to have the energy to exercise. Kicking the bad eating habits will help in fat loss (mostly as you are not taking in empty calories, sugar or fats anymore). Its true what they say, Abs are made in the kitchen and your new body is 70% diet and 30% fitness!!!

One always important thing to remember, is which ever method you choose for you exercise regiment, ALWAYS listen to your body. If you need to rest, its OK to take a rest day (or week)!!! Over training and fatigue can lead to injury, which will leave you out even longer!

I found this quote today, and I LOVE IT! There is no way to say it better. This is exactly what I want to do; earn my body. I think there is so much more satisfaction when you look at your body and know you look like that because you worked hard for it.

Today is LEG DAY!!! I’m actually really excited for leg day because I haven’t had a realy, solid leg day since before having my baby. I’m sure its been a good 6 months since I’ve done heavy squats, and split squats, and heavy leg extensions…I know I certainly won’t be able to do as much as I could before, but I am eager to get myself back to where I was ASAP! My PR for squats is 185lbs. I know I will be no where near that when I get in the gym today, but I can hope that I will be there soon!

I took yesterday as my rest day, as Baby P had her first visit with Grandma dn grandpa, so our day was pretty busy!. I continued to eat healthy and follow the LiveFit trainer’s nutritional guidelines, and already, in just 3 days, have seen my stomach changing. It feels good to know that this one change I have made is actually making a difference. Now, just to get my “old” body back, and improve on it. I see all these pictures on Instagram, Twitter, facebook, etc of these women in really great shape; the same kind of shape I want to be in, and it inspires me! I am eager to try to get my body to look like that. I will EARN a body like that!!!

I have been having a terrible time sleeping lately, SO…..I have tried to find tips and tricks to getting a better sleep. These are what I have found.

1. Sleep is not something you really have control of in your life, so stop letting it worry you. The more you worry about your sleeping habits, the more it will drive you crazy and the less sleep you will get!

2. Set yourself a bedtime for every day. Just like you have an alarm to wake in the morning, set aside a time to wind down and head to bed. This will help your body to regulate its sleep schedule. This may be difficult some times (especially with shift work like me) but aiming for the same time to hit the sack every night will help you.

3. Have a warm bath. Not only will it relax you, the drop in body temperature when you get out will help you to drift off more quickly.

4. Turn all the lights out. Even the crack of light under the door can disturb your sleep. Turn out hallway lights, TVs, computers…anything with a light that you may see while trying to catch some ZZZZ’s.

5. Make the room cool! The cool temperature helps your body to relax and function in a more calm state.

6. Find the pillow that is most comfortable for you and your sleeping style! You may need a different pillow than your partner if you are a back sleeper and they are a side sleeper. Figure out which works best for you! Make sure to find one that is comfortable and supportive.

7. Avoid caffeine after dinner. Simple.

8. Stop concentrating on what you need to do tomorrow, or the craziness that was life today and just breathe. Take nice slow deep breaths to clear your mind and put your body in a relaxing state.

9. There is no such thing at catching up on missed sleep. So you only slept for 5 hours last night? Napping isnt your answer, it will only further inihibt your sleep tonight. Keeping your body in a regular sleep schedule is your answer.

Hopefully these ideas will help me to “cure” my insomnia and poor sleep habits that I’ve been having the past few weeks!!!

I was just looking through the workouts I’ve done in the past couple of weeks and I have sure been slacking! That’s what nights to to a person! So drained of energy. It was pretty pathetic! These next two weeks will be better because I have a much better, more solid routine down when I work day shifts. As long as I get to the gym right after work, I’m usually pretty good at getting a really great workout in.

Today, I plan to do shoulders and maybe a little bit of leg stuff. I’m worried now that I cannot do my heavy squats that I want to be able to do, so I need to find other ways to work on my legs over the next while. It is still my ultimate goal to have fantastic legs, so being able to find ways to work on them are important to me. I had read on Vanessa Tib’s FB page that she is planning on working oh her legs 3 times a week and that 48 hours between workouts is sufficient. I’m curious to know how that is working out for her. Maybe I’ll have to start doing that in order to see the definition and muscle tone I want and desire. Anyone out there workout one body part 3x a week???

I’m sure all of us have experienced this at one time or another…you’ve just eaten, but yet you still feel hungry. Why? Why does this happen? Some foods trick our bodies into not recognizing when we are full, and in turn, triggers a “rebound hunger” I have come across 7 reasons found on Men’s Health online that could be your culprit.

1. You drink too much soda

Sodas and other sweetened beverages contain high-fructose corn syrup. Fructose can trick our brains into thinking we need more food, when in fact, we are full. It works by blocking the bodys ability to use the satiation hormone leptin (the hormone that tells us when we are full)

2. Your dinner came from a can

many canned foods contain BPA. Exposure to BPA is knows to cause abnormal attacks on leptin, once again causing our brain to think we need more food.

3. Your breakfast wasn’t big enough

researchers found that those who ate just 300 calories for breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more for breakfast. The reason: Eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning fewer sudden food cravings.

4. You skipped your salad

Most Americans don’t eat enough leafy greens. Leafy greens are rich in the essential B-vitamin folate and help protect against depression, fatigue, and weight gain. Research shows that dieters with the highest levels of folate in their bodies lost 8.5 times as much weight as those with the lowest levels. Leafy greens are also high in vitamin K, another insulin-regulating nutrient that helps squash between meal cravings. Best sources: Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, radicchio.

5. You don’t stop for tea time..

According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who drank one cup of black tea after eating high-carb foods decreased their blood-sugar levels by 10 percent for 2 and a half hours after the meal. This means they stayed full longer and had fewer food cravings.

6. You’re not staying fluid

Dehydration often mimics the feeling of hunger. Drink a glass of water before your meal, as well as plenty of water during your meal. If you’re still hungry after your meal, try drinking a glass of water first to see if that curbs your hunger.

7. You’re bored.

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia found that visual distractions can help curb cravings. To test yourself, envision a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal.Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/curb-hunger/

today was a very successful day in my books. i worked on 2 of my goals today! not ony did i not eat any of the junk food at work today, which included ice cream cake, donuts, and cookies, BUT, i also did legs in the gym.

let me tell you, those desserts all looked delicious, especially the ice cream cake with the fudge and crumbles in the middle. i actually didnt even have to think about not taking some. i knew today was the start of something new for me, my new healthier lifestyle, and they didnt even tempt me today. last week, i would have thought to myself “one little piece wont hurt”. not today. today i knew my goals, knew where i wanted to get to, and that definately is the key. GOALS!

heading tot he gym, i knew exactly what i wanted to get out of my workout today and thats exactly what i did. i racked up the squat rack, and achieved a personal best today!!! 185lbs. i couldnt have started my new lifestyle out any better than today. I KILLED LEGS TODAY…hopefully they’ll be loking how i want them to in no time!!!